Earthquake rocks Blue Diamond

A veil of doubt was cast over Blue Diamond favorite Earthquake when she drew

a hard luck gate 15 of 16 for Melbourne's juvenile showpiece Tuesday. No

favorite drawn outside gate 10 for the past 20 years had prevailed in the Group

1, A$1 million contest, including Earthquake's fellow Sheikh Mohammed homebred

stablemate and subsequent four-time Group 1 winner Guelph 12 months ago. The

hulking bay filly silenced the statistics and her doubters in a few sweeping

strides down the Caulfield stretch Saturday, storming to the lead at the

200-meter mark and winning by 1 1/2 lengths in hand under jockey Damien Browne.

It was the second and likely last -- Blue Diamond victory for the formidable

team of Sheikh Mohammed and trainer Peter Snowden, following on the heels of

champion two-year-old Sepoy in 2011. Snowden will at the end of April hand over

the reins of the Darley stable to trainer John O'Shea when he and son Paul

launch their new public training operation.

Snowden revealed after the race that Earthquake would likely attempt to

emulate Sepoy by taking in the April 5 A$4 million Golden Slipper, the world's

richest juvenile race.

"I was a bit concerned when she wobbled around the turn, but then she pricked

her ears and I thought oh God, here she comes,'" Snowden told

Racing and Sports. "There's still six weeks to go (until the Golden Slipper)

and she's only had three runs. There's still some more in her.

"To me, it's all there in front of her. She might not be the equal of Sepoy

yet, but she is doing things that he did."

Earthquake raced into Blue Diamond consideration in her first racetrack

appearance a 1,000-meter Randwick plate race November 9. There, she bested Sheer

Style, who went on to claim third in the A$2 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old

Classic in January. Earthquake was thus sent off the favorite for her second

outing, the fillies' division of the Blue Diamond Prelude February 8, and she

lived up to the billing, loping home to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

With that victory she was promoted to early Blue Diamond favoritism over boom

colt Rubick, the males' prelude victor. Bookmakers got shaky after the filly was

handed the wide draw, however, backing her out to joint favoritism with Rubick.

Confidence for the filly, however, rebounded by post time, with Earthquake going

off the slight favorite.

Breaking smartly and moving in to travel four off the fence down the

backstretch, Browne was able to guide his charge in another position around the

turn as Rubick battled through fierce fractions up front. About fourth at the

top of the lane, Earthquake responded from minimal urging from Browne, surging

to the front at the 200-meter mark and hitting the line under wraps.

Browne, who for the second straight race was subbing in for Darley's injured

number one jockey Kerrin McEvoy, said he felt Earthquake was not fully extended.

"On the corner, I gave her a couple of slaps and she picked them up in two

strides," he told

Racenet.com.au. "The last furlong she was just loafing and doing half-pace.

She picked them up that easy and then she just got lost so there's plenty of

room for upside there."

Jabali got up to provide an exacta for Exceed and Excel, last year's champion

sire in Australia. Earthquake is now listed as the A$2.80 favorite for the

Golden Slipper.

In other Group 1 action at Caulfield, Moment of Change added the Futurity to

his resume, while Lankan Rupee continued his ascent in the Oakleigh Plate.

Two weeks ago, Moment of Change was searching for his first win in 16 months.

Now, in the space of 14 days, the veteran galloper has collected two Group 1

victories. The Peter Moody charge, who took the C.F. Orr here February 8 --

earned his first win at the highest level in the September 2012 Sir Rupert

Clarke over this course and distance, but had competed exclusively below 1,400

meters in his 10 subsequent starts prior to the Orr. The return to Caulfield's

1,400 meters has clearly treated him well.

"He is in peak form and this trip, this track, and the way it races suits

him," Moody told Racing and Sports. "He goes strongly enough that horses have

got to chase him from a long way out."

Charging to the lead from the break, Moment of Change and jockey Luke Nolen

dictated proceedings with last season's resuming Victoria Derby hero Polanski

about two lengths in arrears. Still with plenty left at the top of the lane,

Moment of Change held his advantage through the stretch and held off a

fast-finishing Sertorius, who did well to make up ground after missing the

break. Veteran Darley galloper Pinwheel held his position through the lane to be

third.

Polanski fractured his near fore pastern late in the race and was vanned off,

with trainer Robbie Laing reporting to Racing and Sports: "They are trying to

save him."

Moment of Change will revert to 1,200 meters for the Newmarket Handicap at

Flemington March 8.

Lankan Rupee, the winner of his first two starts as a three-year-old in 2012,

tried Group 1 company in the Coolmore Stud Stakes that year, but was a

non-factor eighth, and as such spent the second half of his sophomore campaign

plying his trade in the Melbourne handicap ranks. Off for five months after

being gelded during the Australian winter, Lankan Rupee returned last season

with a Moonee Valley handicap victory, and two starts later ascended the ranks

to take Flemington's Early Grey Stakes. He has yet to lose in three starts

since, taking the Kevin Heffernan on November 16, and the Rubiton first up

February 8.

Favored for a first high-level score here, Lankan Rupee traveled about fifth

while three off the fence through the opening stages. Under a drive in the lane,

he hit the lead at the 150-meter marker and sprinted clear for a comfortable

victory.

"He just blew them away today," winning rider Craig Newitt told

RacingNetwork.com.au.

"I haven't ridden a horse that has improved as much as Lankan Rupee. He has

always had ability, but he was backwards as a colt. He wanted to charge and he

was a little bit weak in his races late. Since they cut him he has just become a

real racehorse."

Lankan Rupee will try to record a Group 1 double when he contests the

Newmarket, and meets Moment of Change.

The Group 2 Peter Young marked the reappearance of last year's Melbourne Cup

hero Fiorente. Unraced since that November 5 effort, he has had an ambitious

campaign set out for him for the first half of 2014, and he indicated he is up

to the task with a sound first-up victory here.

While the majority of Australian gallopers begin their campaigns over shorter

distances, working their way up in subsequent starts, trainer Gai Waterhouse

went outside the box with her first Melbourne Cup winner, starting him over

1,800 meters. As such, fitness was the question on everyone's mind, but Fiorente

silenced his critics with a powerful finish.

Traveling near the rear of the field down the backstretch, Fiorente appeared

to be flat-footed approaching the 200-meter mark, but quickly reversed that

assumption, sweeping to the lead inside the final 100 meters and finishing with

a strong kick.

Jockey Damien Oliver was handed a 12-meeting suspension after allowing

Fiorente to shift in in the final strides, causing Green Moon, the 2012

Melbourne Cup winner, to check. Despite the sentence, Oliver was upbeat about

Fiorente's performance.

"He's a great horse to ride -- he's what you dream of riding," Oliver told

RacingNetwork.com.au. "He just does everything right for you."

Waterhouse was equally pleased, commenting: "I liked the way he strode out

and got into his rhythm. There is plenty more of him to come. He's a beautiful

horse and they don't often win first-up over 1,800 meters against a class field.

He has a great will to win. He pins those ears back and doesn't want to let

anything beat him."

Next up for Fiorente is the Australian Cup at Flemington March 8, followed by

the A$4 million Queen Elizabeth at Randwick April 19 on the second card of

Sydney's inaugural The Championships.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com